Tune-up: Kinnie Starr.

Tune-Up Kinnie Starr Violet Inch Records, 2000. www.kinniestarr.com

The music of Kinnie Starr, in her own words, is "sweet like vine-ripened tomatoes smashed against an old brick wall. It is called `Chunk-hop' -- a collision of lurching hip-hop beats, word-play and simple heavy dissonant guitar grooves." Starr, hailing from Vancouver, is famous for her energetic and innovative live shows which range from spoken word to a full band rock show. She rejects the idea that art is a passive experience and will perform her material offstage in the middle of the crowd, unmiked if need be.

After falling through the cracks of the merging of her label with another major …